


A Mages' Tea

by Aly_H



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Background Relationship - Dorian Pavus/Inquisitor, Chantry Issues, Circle of Magi, Dalish Elves, Dalish Mage - Freeform, Friendship, Gen, Gray Ace Character, Lunch, Mage Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Mage Rights, Pro-Mage Inquisitor, Tea Time bonding, Vivienne gets called Lethallan, respect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 13:46:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16535723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aly_H/pseuds/Aly_H
Summary: A series of instances where Vivienne and the Inquisitor share tea as their unlikely friendship with one another grows.---An examination of a pro-mage Inquisitor's friendship with Vivienne in which both characters forge a friendship with one another through mutual respect despite the differences in their points of views and their own stubborn natures.Requests Open.





	1. Nightime Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, not sure how many scenes this fic will have right now but I'm enjoying getting to write a platonic relationship.
> 
> I'm also going to try something new: Requests!
> 
> If there's a subject you want to see Vivienne and Taralyn discuss or deal with the repercussions of you can drop it in the comments or my inbox over at Tumblr ([@aly-the-writer](https://aly-the-writer.tumblr.com/)).

“Enchanter Vivienne?” she turned from her examination of the bookshelf, mildly surprised to realize she had company:

She’d seen Dorian cross the path to the Herald’s Rest some hours ago. He was usually the last left in the Inquisition’s library save for Solas painting by the light of his candles below.

The Inquisitor had clearly been there for some time. The table stacked with books and papers covered in notes scattered across the surface. She approached, curious, and saw that most the notes consisted of translations. Tevene and Trade to elven, for the most part.

“ _The Nature of Primordial Elements, Observations on the Raw Fade,_ _Tainted Healing: Ailments of the Blight_ ,” her brows raised reading the titles that had been subjected to the Inquisitor’s studies. Most of the books were advanced theoretical treatises on magic, the most practical selections had to do with Lyrium or Darkspawn.

The red haired elf sighed, sitting back in his chair and pressing a gentle circle to one of his temples.

Exhaustion had been a constant companion to the young man since Haven: Guilt over the attack keeping him up at night – so many saved but it was never enough – and over the fate of the Templars, the ones who had trusted their commanders and whose leaders had failed them so gravely, who he felt he had abandoned to their fate by allying with mages instead. She could see the signs of wear beginning to collect.

They would never agree on the politics of the Circle – Taralyn saved the books for her because he saw the value in knowledge and loved literature – but they both could recognize how had that the other worked to see the things they thought were _best_ came to pass.

She suspected had they not been compelled to disagree so vehemently over the Circle question – Taralyn could be _very_ Dalish at the most inopportune times – the two of them might have gotten along quite well from the beginning instead of it taking Haven’s fall for the wary iciness between them to fall apart.

“What are you studying, Inquisitor?” she asked, “Unless of course you’d rather ask Lord Pavus for assistance instead?”

“Am I not teased enough for that already?” the red head asked, tired amusement pulling a smile to his lips.

His growing affections for Dorian were obvious to everyone except, perhaps, Dorian himself. While politically inadvisable the romance was sweet – and no love affair between a Duke and an enchanter had never been very politically advantageous either. She’d advise caution but she’d do what she could to support the two men if they chose to pursue the snatching of happiness they might find in one another. Taralyn would desperately need such things to survive walking the path that he had to walk – lest they all burn in Corypheus’s fires.

“As for my studies….everything?” the tone was sheepish. “The others think that because I am a mage and sympathetic to the rebellion your Circle brethren will listen to me.”

“You disagree?” she took the empty chair across from Taralyn.

“I am yet another outsider sending them to fight a war. I am not one of them.”

“You don’t feel a sense of kinship with the rebels, my dear?”

“I don’t know what it is to be reviled for being a mage, Enchanter Vivienne,” there was a wry note to his voice – someone had recently thrown his good fortune in his face (Solas most likely). “I am far more akin to Dorian than I am to any Circle mage. When my magic showed itself it marked me as carrying a gift from our Creators. I passed the trials of the First and it was known that I would one day lead them. I was never made to learn fear because I am a mage.”

“And all of this?” she gestured to the books.

“If I am to lead the Inquisition properly I should understand magic the way that the people I am _leading_ understand it.”

“Darling, you are being ridiculous,” she shook her head fondly. “You have proven yourself worthy of the title, Inquisitor. I pray you should continue to do so, but I have spent a lifetime in the Circle: Those who cannot respect you as Taralyn Ethelan, First of Clan Lavellan will not respect you simply because you have proven yourself a more skillful student of the magical arts than they are.”

When he stayed quiet, his eyes dropping down to his Marked hand – the glove he wore kept the glow from showing now but it was an easy enough guess to make as to where his thoughts were.

“Taralyn,” she used his name to show she spoke now as a friend rather than any of her titles and positions. “You do none of us any good by exhausting yourself. I will give you two choices or I will have to inform Lady Montilyet that you require fussing after.”

“Your Orlesian is showing,” he sighed, but closed the book in front of him. “Very well, what are my options?”

“You may go down to the Herald’s Rest and help our dear Lord Pavus drink the bottle of wine he has no doubt procured for himself and spend the night like a young man your age should or I will brew us some tea and then you may retire to get some much needed sleep.”

“Tea sounds lovely, Vivienne. Let me gather my notes up and I will join you.”

“Excellent choice, my dear.”


	2. A Teatime Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vivienne is busy working and this time Taralyn interrupts to ask a favor of the Enchanter.
> 
> Set before "Bring Me the Heart of Snow White" takes place.

“Enchanter Vivienne?” She looked up from her notes and calculations – this had to be precise, she couldn’t risk less than perfection for Bastien. This potion was her one chance to save him _if_ she could make it work.

The Inquisitor waited for her to wave him further onto the balcony before he approached, setting a tray on one of the empty tables, careful to keep it away from her books and notes. Careful not to read anything too closely as well.

“What’s this, darling?”

“Tea – and cucumber sandwiches and a few strawberry tarts whose fates should really not be revealed to Lady Montilyet,” the red haired elf said, pouring a cup and adding a careful spoonful of sugar – exactly the right amount – before passing it to her.

Vivienne smiled some – Taralyn Lavellan was not a man she should be able to get along with by most accountings. Their politics and understandings of each other were sharply skewed against one another. The Dalish mage had found himself suddenly the leader of an Inquisition and the one who granted harbor and safety to her rebelling brethren. Still he was respectful and intelligent, his views were very much that of a Keeper but he took time to listen to both herself and Fiona with regards to the mages.

“I do believe I meant _why_. I wasn’t expecting you today, darling.”

“You’ve been working at those calculations all morning, _lethallan_. You may make more progress after you’ve stopped staring at them for a short while. And, yes, I’ve already chastised Dorian for his similar behavior. However, I suspect if I attempted to tuck you in for a nap it would not go quite so well for me.”

She smiled despite herself, sipping on the tea. Dorian and the Inquisitor painted a handsome picture, and as much as she remained uncertain of the Tevinter’s intentions towards the Inquisition she knew with all certainty that the altus would do everything in his power to keep the Inquisitor from harm.

The looks they stole of one another reminded her all too sharply of her Duke from whom whose side duty had forced her for the time being.

“May I join you?”

“Please do,” she nodded, pushing memories of young love aside for the time being. He poured himself a cup before taking a seat across from her. “What can I do for you today, Inquisitor?”

“I’ve come to ask a personal favor today,” the elf admitted. “You’re familiar with my siblings?”

“It would be difficult to not be familiar with Master Haleir,” the quirked lips have the Inquisitor laughing and his head inclined in recognition of the truth of that matter. Of the two twins the younger was the far more noisy and personable one. “I’ve met your sister, though I can’t say I know her.”

“Siona’s the quieter of my siblings,” the Inquisitor agreed. “She’s also still supposed to be under the tutelage of our Keeper and not in the wider world. She’s a gifted healer, and technically an adult, I can’t simply order her away.” He grimaced – something told Vivienne that Taralyn had come to this conclusion only _after_ attempting to convince both his siblings to leave the Inquisition business to him and return to their people.

“If I knew a way to make talented, headstrong young mages less so I’m certain my time as First Enchanter might have been less difficult.”

“That’s actually – I’m not suited to teach, as the oldest and most trained, apart from Haleir whose talents are….”

“Dangerous? Undisciplined? Reckless?” The younger of the Lavellan twins was one of Skyhold’s more colorful residents, to put it mildly.

 “I was going to say unique but yes. Neither I nor my brother are well suited to overseeing an education, though I suspect we could muddle through.”

“Inquisitor,” she set her tea cup down, “Are you asking me to teach your sister?”

“If it is not a great hassle, Lady Vivienne, or at least see to it that it’s overseen properly by the Circle mages. There are enough enchanters who have joined us from your Circles that someone here should be a suitable instructor. Just…I am still unfamiliar with the politics among your brethren. I wouldn’t know who I could trust with Siona’s studies.”

Vivienne tilted her head, “Why not find a Dalish instructor for her? You certainly did not suffer for your education.”

“I had years of studying books and teaching myself to read ancient Tevene additionally. Access to the library here has been a boon but in high level magic Circle mages, and certainly the Venatori, will almost always surpass my ability. Redcliffe adequately proved how dangerous a disadvantage that could become.”

“My dear, I very much doubt that many apart from our Lord Pavus might have been prepared for time travel,” she shook her head. “Does your sister have a magical focus?”

Haleir was a spirit mage for all he went to great lengths to claim that he was not. Taralyn, himself, had an aptitude for combat magic – his training as an arcane warrior among the Dalish had swiftly adapted to the art of the Knight-Enchanter. The youngest of the three siblings she knew Siona spent most her time with animals about Skyhold and likely held some gift tied to living nature but she hadn't seen the girl cast enough to be certain.

“Healing - and plants respond to her moods. I suspect that she has some gift with animals too given how they take to her. I believe Siona wishes to pursue the healing arts, she spends much of her time assisting at the infirmary.”

“I’ll need some time to consider a suitable schedule,” Vivienne nodded. “It will be an honor to instruct your sister, Inquisitor.”

“She’s to begin lessons on courtly etiquette with Lady Montilyet within the week as well, if you could look in on those when I am away I would be most grateful, as well,” Taralyn’s smile was genuine - a quiet expression but one given to a friend.

“I would be delighted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> This is my first time having the guts to write Vivienne as a major character in a fic (she's a fantastic character but VERY intimidating). I hope y'all enjoyed. :)


End file.
